Supply case for a cartridge magazine of a gun



May 23, 967 A. G. CARLSSON 3,320,857

(SUPPLY CASE FOR A CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE OF A GUN 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1;, 1965 INVENTOR AREA/T eusmy CARLSSON BY H ATTORNEYS y 23, 1967 A. G. CARLSSON 3,320,857

SUPPLY CASE FOR A CARTRIDGE MAGA'LTNE 01-" A GUN Filed June n, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

HWENTOR ARE/VT susmv CAELSSON A TTORNE 7':

May 23, 1967 A. G. 'CARLSSON 3,320,857

SUPPLY CASE FOR A CARTRIDGE MAUAZYNF- OF A GUN 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 1!, 1965 ZNVENTOH ARE/VT GOS779V AQLSSON BY M FIG. 5

A 7TORNFYS 3,320,857 SUPPLY CASE FOR A CARTRIDGE MAGAZlNE OF A GUN Arent Gustav Carlsson, Karlslroga, Sweden, assigrror to Aktieboiaget Eofors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed June 9, 1965, Ser. No. 462,495 Claims priority, application Sweden, June 15, 1964, 7,284/64 8 Claims. (Cl. 89-34) The present invention relates to a cartridge supply case for loading a cartridge magazine of an automatic gun and, in particular, to a cartridge supply case for loading a cartridge magazine comprising one or more cartridge compartments located laterally of each other, each being arranged to receive one cartridge or several cartridges located above each other in the compartment.

One object of the invention is to provide a cartridge supply case device for rapid loading of a cartridge magazine by feeding cartridges from the supply case into the magazine from above.

With this object in view, a cartridge supply case according to the invention comprises a suspension frame structure including means for lifting the case and cartridges carried thereby. The frame has at the rearward end face thereof one or several rear cartridge suspending means each for holding the rearward end of at least one cartridge. Each of said rear suspending means extends downwardly of said frame structure and comprises a vertical abutment surface constituting a support for the bottom part of each cartridge located in the supply case to prevent the cartridge from moving rearwardly, and an abutment member extending forwardly of said vertical abutment surface to cooperate from underneath with the bottom flange of a lowermost cartridge located in the case thereby supporting the rear end of said lowermost cartridge. At the opposite side of the frame structure, that is, on the front face thereof, one or more forward cartridge suspending means are provided. Each of these suspending means include two gripping members laterally cooperating with opposite sides of the projectile-containing forward portion of a cartridge' These members are mutually displaceable towards and away from each other for gripping and releasing, respectively, the forward portion of the cartridge. The device also comprises actuating means for moving at least one of said gripping members of the forward suspending means into a position relative to the other member to hold the forward portion of a cartridge. A release means is provided which cooperates with a component of a cartridge magazine to be loaded from the cartridge supply case. The release means is arranged to move said actuating means and the gripping member actuated thereby into a position in which the forward portion of a cartridge suspended in the supply case can pass the gripping members by a motion in a direction perpendicular to a plane through the frame structure.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, a first one of said gripping members is secured to the frame structure while the second member is pivotally attached to the frame structure to be swung towards and away from the first member by action of the actuating means connected thereto.

To facilitate loading of the supply case with cartridges and also releasing of cartridges suspended in the case when loading a cartridge magazine from the supply case, the cartridge suspending means situated at the rear end of the frame structure is pivotal between a position in which it carries the rear portion of cartridges in the case while the same are held at their forward end by the gripping members located at the front part of the frame structure, and a position in which the abutment member of the rear suspension means which supports the rear portion of the lowermost cartridge in a vertical row in the case by engaging the bottom flange of the cartridge is disengaged therefrom.

The invention will become more fully apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing as a cartridge case in which the cartridges arranged in seven vertical column or rows, each comprising two cartridges lying above each other.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational diagrammatic view of a cartridgesupply case according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the same cartridge case as viewed from behind the supply case toward the bottom of cartridges deposited therein;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the same cartridge case;

FIG. 4 is a section along the line AA in FIG. 1 on a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a section along the line B-B in FIGS. 2 and 3 through a cartridge suspension means for the rear portion of a cartridge; and

FIG. 6 is a section along the line C-C in FIGS. 2 and 3 through an actuating means for swinging said rear suspension means into and out of position for holding the cartridges.

The cartridge supply case as illustrated comprises a generally rectangular frame structure 1 having lifting means constituted by bars 2 and an eye 3 for lifting the case, for instance, by means of a hook of a hoist, such as a hoist for bringing forward the supply case to a cartridge magazine for which the supply case is designed. For the forward transport of the supply case to the magazine, the top side thereof mounts rollers 4 for guiding the case along guide rails of a horizontal crane boom. To hold the case in proper position when lowered to the cartridge magazine of the gun, the frame structure has locating pins 5 engageable with suitable control rods (not shown).

Forward cartridge suspending means for engagement with the forward or projectile end of a cartridge 9 are arranged at the front part of the frame structure. These suspending means extend downwardly of the frame and comprise each two gripping members 7 and 8 carried by a frame beam 6 as will be more closely described in the following. Rear cartridge suspending means 11 support cartridges at the rear or casing end thereof and extend downwardly from a rear frame beam 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the cartridge supply case is constructed, by way of example, for seven vertical columns or rows of two cartridges each. The rear cartridge suspending means 11 for each vertical row of cartridges comprises a bar portion 12 constituting a rear abutment surface to engage with the bottom surface of cartridges to prevent the cartridges from moving backwardly. Bar portion 12 has at its lower end an abutment flange 13 extending forwardly of the bar portion to cooperate with the rim of the bottom flange of the lowermost cartridge in the row to support the cartridges of the row while the forward portion of the cartridge is retained in position by the forward cartridge suspending means.

Member 7 of each forward cartridge suspending means is fixedly secured to the frame structure 1, whereas member 8 is pivotaly attached to the frame structure to be swung into and out of an active position for holding the forward portion of -a cartridge. When member 8 is in its active position, the respective cartridge is prevented from moving forwardly by the action of the forward suspending means and due to the shape of projectile. A rearward displacement of a cartridge is prevented by the cartridge bottom abutting against bar 12 so that each cartridge is held suspended in the supply case. However,

when by pivoting member 8, the forward cartridge suspending means is brought into the inactive position, the cartridges are free to fall down into the gun cartridge magazme.

Member 7 of each forward suspending means is, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, secured to the front frame beam 6 and comprises a recess 14 laterally enclosing the top of the projectile of a cartridge suspended in the supply case. The member 7 is secured to the frame beam 6 by one of two flanges 15 extending laterally of member 7. The second member 8 is pivotally attached to the frame structure by a pivot 16 by means of a bracket 17 extending from pivot 16. To enclose a portion of the projectile of a cartridge, the member 8 has a recess 18 facing the recess 14 of member 7.

The rearward end of bracket 17 is connected to a bar 20 by a pivotal joint 19. This bar is displaceable perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the supply case to move the pivotal members 8 of all the forward cartridge suspending means into and out of a position relative to members 7 holding the nose 21 of a projectile.

The supply case further comprises a lever mechanism comprising a pivotal lever which is hinged to a pivot pin 23 on a support lug 22 attached to the frame structure 1. Lever 25 is further hinged by a pivot pin 26 to a link 28 connected to the bar 20 by a pivot pin 27. An arm 29 of the pivotal lever 25, and the link 28 are so dimensioned that the linkage formed by link 28 and arm 29 is a self-locking in the active position of members 8 for holding cartridges. This position is reached when pivot pin 26 passes its dead center on a connection line between pivot pin 23 and pivot pin 27. Members 8 are moved into the active position by a control handle 24 on lever 25. The members are locked by swinging lever 25 downwardly and are released by actuating the linkage formed by link 28 and arm 29 by means of a force acting against the linkage from beneath the linkage and bringing the pivot pin 26 to a position above the dead center thereof. More specifically, link 28 comprises an arm 30 extending downwardly of the link, the lower end 31 of this arm being arranged in a position to cooperate with a component of a cartridge magazine by abutting against an abutment surface of the magazine. When the supply case is lowered onto the magazine, the link 28 is pushed upwardly by engagement between arm 30 and the magazine. The forward suspending means are thus released and the cartridges are freed to fall out of the supply case into the cartridge magazine.

To avoid, if desired, a downwardly-forwardly pivoting of the cartridges when the rear portion thereof is retained during a first part of the downward motion by the abutment member 13 of rear cartridge suspending means 11, the rear suspending means are, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, pivotal in a rearward direction, that is, away from the cartridge bottoms from the active position holding the cartridges in cooperation with the forward cartridge suspending means and into a position leaving the cartridges free to move downwardly unimpeded by the abutment member 13.

More specific-ally, each rear cartridge suspending means 11 is pivotal in a vertical longitudinal plane about a horizontal pivot 35 under the control of an arm 36 extending upwardly of the pivot 35. This arm 36 is connected by a pivot 37 to one end of a link 38, the other end of which is pivotally attached to an eccentric portion 39 of a rotational shaft 41 supported in stationary bearings 40 attached to the frame structure 1. Shaft 41 is common to all rear cartridge suspending means 11 and by rotating shaft 41, all the rear cartridge suspend-ing means 11 can be simulataneously swung into and out of their active posit-ions to hold the cartridges in cooperation with the for.- ward suspending means.

A control lever 43 is attached to shaft 41 by attachment means 42 and serves to turn shaft 41 for pivoting the rear suspending means into and out of their active position via the links 38 actuated by the eccentric portions 39 of the shaft. The cartridge suspending means 11 are retained in the active position by the eccentric portions 39 of the shaft passing a dead center position, namely a point on a connection line between the centers of pivots 37 and 41, shortly before the cartridge suspending means reach their active position.

To permit manual movement of the cartridge suspendin-g means into active position, the control lever 43 should have a considerable length, thus providing a powerful leverage. To avoid the inconvenience arising by a lever extending an inconveniently long distance laterally of the frame, the control lever of this embodiment extends, in the active position of the rear suspending means in the same direction as said suspending means. This arrangement of the lever, however, entails that when the locking action as obtained by cooperation between the links 38 and the eccentric portions 39 of shaft 41 is released, the control lever 43 must be swung outwardly-upwardly. Hence, the lower end 44 of the lever performs a movement which during the initial part thereof, is essentially horizontal, while the relative movement of the supply case relative to the magazine is vertical. To avoid this difficulty, the device, for pivoting the control lever 43 upwardly, comprises an actuating lever 45, the lower end 46 of which extends beneath the control lever 43 when this lever is in its downward position. Lever is secured by a pivot 47 to control lever 43 at a portion thereof constituting a lever arm 48 by means of which control lever 43 and with it shaft 41 may be swung out of locking position. Due to this arrangement, the lower portion 46 of actuating lever 45, when in contact with an abutment surface on the magazine, can maintain its position in relation to this abutment surface during the out-ward pivoting of control lever 43 while the supply case is moving downwardly towards the magazine. The actuating lever 45 has an abutment surface 49 which, when the suspending means 11 is in the active position, engages an abutment surface 50 on the frame beam 10.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge supply case for loading a cartridge magazine of an automatic gun, said supply case comprising, in combination, a frame structure for stacking cartridges therein, rear cartridge suspension means mounted on the frame structure for releasably supporting the rear portion of a cartridge in said frame structure, said rear suspension means including movable abutment means underlying the rear portion of the cartridge and abutting against the bottom thereof to support said rear portion and to prevent rearward movement of the cartridge in the frame structure, forward cartridge suspension means mounted on the frame structure for releasably supporting the forward portion of the cartridge, said forward suspension means including two gripping members movable relative to each other into and out of a gripping engagement with side wall portions of the forward portion of the cartridge, one of said gripping members being fixedly secured on the frame structure and the other being pivotally supported by the frame structure, actuating means connected to said pivotal gripping member for moving the same into or out of said gripping engagement with the forward portion of the cartridge, and release means coacting with said actuating means to actuate the same for moving the gripping members out of said gripping engagement, said release means being operable by engagement with the magazine when the frame structure and the magazine are moved toward each other during loading of the magazine from the supply case, said gripping members when in the disengaged position opening a passage therebetween for downward movement of the front portion of the cartridge.

2. A cartridge supply case according to claim 1, wherein said rear cartridge suspension means are pivotally supported by said frame structure for moving the rear suspension means into or out of said active position supporting the rear portion of the cartridge, and wherein releasable locking means lock said rear cartridge suspension means in the active position thereof, said locking means being engageable with a portion of the magazine for releasing the locking means by such engagement.

3. A cartridge supply case according to claim 1, wherein said frame structure comprises several side-by-side compartments each for receiving at least one cartridge therein for downward discharge thereof from the respective compartment, one forward cartridge suspension means being provided for each of said compartments, and wherein said actuating means comprise a lengthwise displaceable actuating bar, said bar being coupled with the pivotal gripping member of each of said forward cartridge suspension means for simultaneously moving all said pivotal gripping members int-o or out of the gripping position thereof in reference to the fixed gripping members, and releasable locking means coacting with said bar for locking the latter in a lengthwise position in which the two gripping members of each forward cartridge suspension means are in positions relative to each other for gripping engagement with the forward portion of the cartridge.

4. A cartridge supply case according to claim 3, wherein said releasable locking means comprise a two-armed lever, one arm of the lever being pivotally connected to said frame structure and the other arm constituting a handle for pivoting the lever to lock the locking means, a link pivotally connected at one end to said actuating bar and at the other end to said lever, said link being engageable with a portion of said magazine to effect pivoting of the lever via the link, pivoting of said lever displacing the bar in the direction for releasing the locking means.

5. A cartridge supply case according to claim 1, wherein said rear cartridge suspension means are pivotal about a generally horizontal pivot axis for movement of said rear suspension means into or out of the active position thereof, and wherein linkage means are connected to the rear suspension means for pivoting the latter about said pivot axis.

6. A cartridge supply case according to claim 5, wherein said linkage means comprise a pivotal arm connected to said rear cartridge suspension means for pivoting the latter about said pivot axis by pivoting said arm, a pivotal link connected at one end to said arm for pivoting the same, a shaft rotatably supported by said frame structure, said shaft having a lengthwise eccentric portion, the other end of said link being engageable with said eccentric shaft portion to pivot said link and said arm connected thereto by rotating said shaft, and an actuating means coupled with said shaft to rotate the same for the purpose aforesaid.

7. A cartridge supply case according to claim 6, wherein said frame structure comprises several side-by-side compartments each for receiving at least one cartridge therein for downward discharge 'of the cartridge from the respective compartment, one of the aforedefined rear cartridge suspension means and one of the aforedefined linkage means being provided for each of said compartments, said lengthwise eccentric portion of said shaft being engageable with the link of each of said linkage means for simultaneously pivoting all said links by rotating the shaft.

8. A cartridge supply case according to claim 6, wherein said actuating means comprises a first lever fixedly secured to the shaft extending downward of the same in the active position of the rear cartridge suspension means said first lever having an arm fixedly secured to said shaft, and a second lever pivotally connected at one end to said arm, the other end of the second lever extending below said first lever when the latter is in its downward position, the second lever being engageable with a portion of the magazine, engagement of the second lever with the magazine causing a rotation of said shaft via said arm and said rotation of the shaft moving the rear cartridge suspension means into the inactive position thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,524,132 10/1950 Naugler et a1. 89-33 3,109,344 11/1963 Anderson et al 8934 3,180,224 4/1965 Linke 89--34 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. S. C. BENTLEY, Assistalzt Examiner. 

1. A CARTRIDGE SUPPLY CASE FOR LOADING A CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE OF AN AUTOMATIC GUN, SAID SUPPLY CASE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME STRUCTURE FOR STACKING CARTRIDGES THEREIN, REAR CARTRIDGE SUSPENSION MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME STRUCTURE FOR RELEASABLY SUPPORTING THE REAR PORTION OF A CARTRIDGE IN SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, SAID REAR SUSPENSION MEANS INCLUDING MOVABLE ABUTMENT MEANS UNDERLYING THE REAR PORTION OF THE CARTRIDGE AND ABUTTING AGAINST THE BOTTOM THEREOF TO SUPPORT SAID REAR PORTION AND TO PREVENT REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CARTRIDGE IN THE FRAME STRUCTURE, FORWARD CARTRIDGE SUSPENSION MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME STRUCTURE FOR RELEASABLY SUPPORTING THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CARTRIDGE, AND RELEASE MEANS SION MEANS INCLUDING TWO GRIPPING MEMBERS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER INTO AND OUT OF A GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SIDE WALL PORTIONS OF THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CARTRIDGE, ONE OF SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED ON THE FRAME STRUCTURE AND THE OTHER BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY THE FRAME STRUCTURE, ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PIVOTAL GRIPPING MEMBER FOR MOVING THE SAME INTO OR OUT OF SAID GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CARTRIDGE, AND RELEASE MEANS COACTING WITH SAID ACTUATING MEANS TO ACTUATE THE SAME FOR MOVING THE GRIPPING MEMBERS OUT OF SAID GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT, SAID RELEASE MEANS BEING OPERABLE BY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MAGAZINE FROM THE FRAME STRUCTURE AND THE MAGAZINE ARE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER DURING LOADING OF THE MAGAZINE FROM THE SUPPLY CASE, SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS WHEN IN THE DISENGAGED POSITION OPENING A PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN FOR DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT PORTION OF THE CARTRIDGE. 